A Voyager in need
by Mrs.Phineas Bogg
Summary: Story I: Rookie field worker Lilly Morgan just graduated Voyager Academy and starts her three-month probation period in the field. That's where trouble starts. What is the yellow light on her new omni? And why do Voyagers Phineas Bogg and Jeffrey Jones keep showing up...just when she needs them the most?
1. Meet Lilly Morgan

**A Voyager in need**

**Chapter 1: Meet Lilly Morgan**

"Can anyone tell me what a paradox is…_Jeanie?"_

The attractive, blonde student flipped her hair with an assured smile at her handsome professor. "A paradox is caused by a modification of the natural order of events as defined by the basic laws of physics."

"Very good, Jeannie! You actually studied the chapters I assigned. Now who would like to reiterate the chaos theory?"

The professor scanned the auditorium and his gaze came to rest on Lilly Morgan. He sighed when he noticed she was face down. Her body moved rhythmically in a pleasant nap. He walked up to her and tapped her arm. She stirred and raised her head and attempted to look alert.

"The chaos theory means that however small a change made in the past, the change made will have a greater and greater effect, as you look further down the time line." She blurted out.

The professor looked at her in wonder and went back to the front. "That is correct, Lilly. They say that you can retain a lot of information through _osmosis."_

The entire class laughed and Lilly turned beet red. She sat up taller in her seat and moved her long hair from her eyes, looking straight ahead.

"I'm sorry Professor Boyle, I just had a long night studying."

The professor waved his hand. "There's no need to give me a life story, you got the correct answer _this time_. I would hardly call singing disco era Blondie songs in the Purple Pit, _studying_."

Lilly held back from responding to that remark. She wanted to say aloud that she saw how _he_ really enjoyed the show. Professor Boyle was very stuck up. It was okay for him to criticize his students in front of the class, but they never had a chance to defend themselves. He carried on with his lesson.

"Danny, could you give me an example of the chaos theory?"

"Sure, um, stepping on a flower could have an effect, and this change could create a different future."

"Okay, how so?"

"Well, teach, the flower you stepped on could die and say that affects the pollination of the actual garden. You may have had white and pink flowers in the original time line, but when you go to the future you notice that they are now yellow and red?"

Danny smugly twiddled his thumbs; confident he gave an appropriate response. Professor Boyle was also satisfied.

"Good example, a minute one, but important to keep in mind nonetheless. It's called the Butterfly effect. Now if you all just apply your brains to the material you've learned in the last few months, this final exam should be easy."

Lilly suddenly held her ears. The piercing, discordant sound of the last bell sent shivers to her teeth. They used this particular one at the Academy to prepare the students for sound-barrier breaking noises that could occur when flying through the cosmos. The students in _'Temporal Anomalies Course-B'_ scattered out of the auditorium. Lilly picked up her books unenthusiastic. The day was not half-over and all her physical courses were after lunch.

"Hey, Lilly bean-pole, why don't you come eat with us?"

Lilly cringed and turned around to see Danny Delvecchio. He was a short guy with slicked back hair and puppy dog eyes. Little Danny tried too hard to hang with the A-list rookies, specifically the ringleader, Jeannie Hornsby. Danny was always cracking jokes about making bases with her. He furthermore always had to poke fun at Lilly because of her height. Being five feet ten, Lilly was more than aware that she towered over many of the other girls. She had put up with the jokes since puberty.

"Sorry, Danny bean-sprout, I have other things to do."

"Hey, no need to get nasty, I get ya! You know you looked great at the club last night with that sparkly purple top and black make-up. When you got up to sing that place was rocking!" He moved in closer, more than she wanted him to.

"Thanks, I knew _'One way or another' _would get you all moving." She referred to the eighties hit song from Earth.

"I don't know the eighties or disco, but who cares? We should all be able to have a little fun before graduation." Danny pulled out his comb and ran it through his greased head, a very trademark sign of his fifties background.

"Right, only one month away. So Danny,_ 'Rock around the clock'_ is more your speed? That's cool. I love that music too." Lilly checked her watch. If any girl gave Danny the time of day he automatically wanted to go steady and boasted he had a closet full of Lettermans to give away.

"Hey speed-o, I have to go, I'm just going to grab a chicken salad. Last time I had a heavy meal before the A-G chamber it was a disaster."

"Oh yuck, don't remind me, you created your own multi-colored universe that time."

"Yeah_, very_ bad idea to have Mexican before a flight test." She blushed.

"Oh look, Jeannie's giving me the eye, I better step on it."

Lilly rolled her eyes. Jeannie was actually looking at Tim Dawson who was standing behind Danny. Lilly grabbed his arms excited. "You're right, Danny! You better run like the wind!"

Lilly chuckled as he bee-lined to Jeannie and her flirtatious smile turned sour. She wanted to flaunt it every chance she got. _'Well, she's going to have to take the good with the not so good.'_ Lilly thought as she strode to the cafeteria.

Lillia Morgan was 'plucked out of time' from the year 2007 at the ripe age of twenty-one. She lived a simple life in the sparsely populated regions of North Dakota, but she had an alarming amount of desires for a better one. Her father had died when she was in her early teens and her negligent mother left her for greener pastures with a boyfriend when she was twenty. She woke up one morning to find a scribbled note and a few hundred dollars to help her 'get by.' Lilly took on the responsibilities of the house, grateful that she was an only child. However, her mother's departure with her father's insurance meant giving up dreams of college and broadcasting. She started working two jobs to keep up with the mortgage.

She took a job waitressing some evenings at 'Harold's Bar & Burger' where she would often sing a few numbers for extra cash. Lilly was also a part-time cashier at the local supermarket. Her Voyager career started on one particularly reckless night, when she was coming home from a late shift at the bar. When her jalopy finally broke down she took to walking on the roads. It was not a smart decision since they were very dark and desolate. One of the local drunks sped in her direction, wavering all over.

Just as he was about to slam into her, she was blinded by a white light and landed in a blue waiting room. Everything was explained to her within the next few days and then she had the _vital_ injection. Since the small frontal lobe procedure a year ago, she hadn't cared to recall much of her previous life. And that was the case for all potential field Voyagers past and present.

After eating a hearty salad she made her way across the extensive campus to the Voyager Training Unit. The V.T.U. was a series of imposing buildings that housed state of the art knick-knacks and training implements to make a Voyager physically equipped for their travels. It was open for use any time, but Lilly wasn't one to be found pumping iron. She did her required athletics to the best of her ability and swam a little on weekends. Lilly didn't understand why every new male Voyager felt they had to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger. And the females were getting a little too bulky for her tastes as well. She heard about the steroid, Omega, being passed around campus, but she never touched the stuff.

The head of the gymnasium once told her that a Voyager shouldn't be soft; they needed to be firm bodied for those tough landings. If that was any sort of hint, Lilly took it with a grain of salt. She had a very healthy frame for a girl her size and the clinicians at one point made her gain a few pounds. However, she wasn't always thrilled with her apple cheeks. Any weight she gained always traveled to her thighs first and she had developed a self-deprecating humor about her size-ten feet.

The latest rumor going around was that VHQ was discontinuing the older model omnis with their limited tracking range. The landings of those omnis were unstable and many Voyagers had to be rushed to the infirmary with broken limbs. The newer omnis would still be brass and silver, but the OCC had perfected the science behind materializing human molecules. This was music to her ears. As tall as she was, Lilly was deathly afraid of heights. However, Voyager Academy insisted that all students learn the art of cosmo flying.

-O-

Lilly came to the entrance of the Anti-Gravity chamber and put her hand on the activation pad. Her name and registration lit up on the screen along with a sleepy-eyed mug shot, and she was allowed access into the white room. She put her bag down and went to her assigned spot. The course instructor was a female Voyager named Olivia Dunn. She was a practical woman with years of experience under her belt. Lilly could tell she was an over-achiever and that she had an aggressive spirit that moved her way ahead of her peers. However, Voyager Dunn had a listening ear for her students and was very knowledgeable about the whole occupation. More than once Lilly heard her shouting at some of the rookies to quit it with their _'stupid heroics.'_ She imagined that Voyager Dunn was once told the same and took it to heart.

"Alright rookies, this is it, the final month of aerospace training. You've made it past the hard stuff. You learned the science behind your cosmic voyages and you've even made a few test flights." She looked directly at Lilly with a dry smile. "Well, most of you have made it, but you can't give up, flying through the cosmos is going to become as common to you as eating and sleeping. It's a vital part of your life and career as a Voyager."

One of the students raised his hand. "Yes, Jim?"

"But what about the new omnis they're working on in the OCC? Won't that eliminate the need for all these lessons?"

Olivia paced around with her hands in her pockets and laughed. "Well, as far as I know those omnis are still in a testing phase. We know how that goes. It is every Voyager's duty to know and accept this part of the job. Even if the new omnis come equipped with this materializing feature, there's always a chance of a malfunction. If that happened, your omni would still be able to take you the old fashioned way. That is, through space in a near blink of an eye. Some of you have also expressed concerns about malfunctions. No, you will not be bodily harmed should one occur. Your pre-set functions will kick in and transport you through the cosmos the way us 'old-timers' have always done it. In most cases the omni will lock the materialization function from activation if it detects a problem. So on that note, everybody up. You are each going to take a turn with the practice omni."

The practice omni was pre-set to take you forward through time within one-minute and pre-calculated to land you on the soft mats at the opposite end of the gym. However, the cosmos trip itself was no different than if you were voyaging between hundreds of years. Lilly shivered. She dreaded this day. All of her friends loved it. They said you barely realized that you were flying. It was like getting an extreme rush and then you landed. After the fright wore off it felt like riding a roller coaster. Lilly confessed she had never done that.

For the next half hour Lilly casually made excuses to shift to the back of the line. She did not go unnoticed by Olivia. She was finally called on after Missy Duncan landed with her new curly perm in disarray like tumbleweed.

"That was like, totally awesome! I can so like, do that again and again! It was like, so tubular!" Missy squealed in her Valley girl lingo.

Lilly cringed and stepped up to what they called the launching pad. Olivia made it quite clear that a Voyager never knows when or where they would have to omni out of a situation. Lilly felt like the chicken from her salad grew wings in her stomach and her heart fluttered. Olivia handed her the omni.

"Okay, Lilly, just take a few deep breaths and it will be over before you know it. Remember, your best bet is to fly with arms out, so you have a better chance of using them to soften the landing."

Lilly looked at her teacher with fear in her hazel eyes. Olivia and the rest of the class waited patiently while she toyed with the activator button to control her shaking hands. The little sing-song mantra she made up for herself played in her head.

"And now I'm ready to be _extraordinary_!"

Lilly pushed the button and the universe burst around her. She propelled faster than the speed of light. She knew she was screaming the whole time, but she couldn't hear the sounds coming out of her mouth. For a few seconds, she was enraptured as the cosmos flashed by her in a whirl of vivid colors and dazzling lights. She vaguely heard the sound that was mimicked by the school bell growing louder and louder until she materialized through the ceiling of the A-G room. The noise died down to a whistle and she landed in a daze on the blue mat. She rolled over and kept herself face down, trying to control her shaking. Everyone in class cheered.

"Lilly! You made it!" Olivia exclaimed, helping her to her feet. "Now you'll travel like a pro. It will only get easier."

"And you didn't lose your lunch!" One of the other guys yelled from the crowd. This incited everyone to laughter.

For the remainder of the month, Lilly managed her flights with ease and passed all of her final exams. When graduation day came, she proudly held her new omni high with the rest of the class of '99. She really did feel…extraordinary.


	2. A near Calamity

**A Voyager in need  
**

**Chapter 2: A near Calamity**

"Bogg, why did the omni just take us away like that? We finally get to go to Tahiti and the stupid Mickey Mouse watch breaks down _again!_ And not only that, it's freezing rain out here!"

Phineas Bogg helped his young partner, Jeffrey Jones, to his feet and they wiped the dirt off their clothes as best they could. Jeffrey jumped around to stay warm, but the rain soaked them to the skin. Phineas shook out his wavy, dark-blonde hair.

"Hey listen, stop complaining, will ya! No matter how it happened, I was glad we got out of there. Those natives were pretty restless."

"I think the Chief wanted you to marry his daughter, they were doing some sort of wedding ritual."

"_Wedding_? I thought I was going to be lunch with the way she looked at me." Phineas shuddered.

"Yeah, that too. She looked like she could have ate you whole. I wonder how they stand the pain with those bones through their noses?"

"I don't know, but if we didn't get out they might have made jewelry from _our_ bones."

The Voyagers searched the road up ahead and spotted some trees for cover. When they came underneath, Phineas checked the omni. The red light flickered on and off, and the sound was low.

_"Uh oh,_ we may have a problem, omni's acting up." Phineas banged it on his palm a few times and the light went stable again.

"I knew it! You know if we only had a guidebook you could actually field strip it. I noticed it's been going on the fritz in the last month. Where are we anyway?" Jeffrey asked, his breath came out as thick as smoke.

"North America. December, 10th 1876."

"Bogg, I'm gonna freeze! We gotta find some place to warm up!"

"Alright, we better start walking, it keeps the blood flowing."

They headed up the soggy road when something caught Phineas' eye off the side. They saw a large, overturned wagon and a lone woman was struggling to push it upright.

"Jeff, she needs help! Let's go!"

Forgetting their own discomfort, the Voyagers ran fast to the scene. The woman was surprised to see them considering the roads were isolated, but she was grateful and frightened. She stopped pushing the wagon and grabbed Phineas' arms.

"Please, help me! My friend is trapped underneath and I can't get her out! She's sinking in the mud hole, she could suffocate!"

Phineas raced around to the other side and found the other young woman sprawled out in the mud. The ivory wagon canvas loosely hung over her and she was pinned by her legs. The iron break shoe ground into her calf. Her long, chestnut hair draped around her and she was face down, unmoving. Phineas gasped and slid beside her. When he gently lifted her head, her body shifted and he sighed with relief. He quickly wiped the muck from her nostrils and mouth to aid her breathing.

"I got you, it's gonna be okay, miss. We'll get this off you." He offered sympathetically. "Take deep breaths."

The young woman choked, spitting up saliva and mud. Phineas patted her back and held her while she coughed to keep her from moving and adding to her injury. She looked up at him miserably.

"Please, I…I can't move my legs, it hurts. I was trying to help her get to the town…there's an epidemic of smallpox…She has to make it. She has to…"

The girl was weakened and her eyes flickered open and shut. Phineas removed his vest and placed it on the ground, then lay her upper body upon it.

"Don't try to move, just stay calm, I'm gonna help you."

Jeffrey saw boxes of medical supplies strewn about and they were getting soaked in the rain. The other woman ran around trying to pick up all the boxes that weren't crushed. Jeffrey helped her and they stacked them back in the wagon and tied them to the sides with a rope.

"I can't let these things get damaged! The medicine is too costly and this old wagon isn't gunna make any more long trips after this. Thanks fer yer help! What's your name, son?"

"My name's Jeffrey Jones."

The woman took off her glove and offered Jeffrey her hand. "I'm Martha Jane, though most people 'round these parts like to call me Calamity."

Jeffrey's eyes widened. He was standing before one of the most famous cowgirls in the Wild West. Calamity hoisted half her body into the wagon and rifled through a trunk. She threw him two coats.

"Here! I don't know what you boys were thinking coming out in those flimsy clothes. Put one on and give this to your friend, he's sure gonna need it."

Jeffrey ran around to Phineas. His partner's legs jutted halfway out from the underbelly of the wagon. He was trying to see just how badly the girl was pinned. He pulled himself out. His clothing was drenched and filthy. He looked down at the young woman, she had a wool and scarf to keep her warm, but the rain poured even harder now. Jeffrey handed him the coat and he put it on appreciatively.

"Bogg! That woman over there is _Calamity Jane! _This must be South Dakota!"

Phineas was too distracted to react to Jeffrey's usual awestruck ravings when meeting historical icons.

"Jeff! I'm going to hoist this wagon up with my back, we don't have anything strong enough here for leverage."

"Bogg, this thing looks like it weighs a ton! Are you sure you can do that?"

"I have to try. I can't risk pushing it in either direction because it can crush her. It's not _as_ heavy as it looks; I tested it. It was good we came when we did, because if this shifted any further she could have drowned in the mud! Quick, go stay with her. Keep her head up."

Phineas knelt beside the woman again and he smiled at her. He softly moved her damp hair off her face, suddenly noting how attractive she was.

"This will work. I promise." He grasped the base of the wagon and crawled under again. He faced Jeffrey.

"When I say pull, you _pull!"_

Calamity ran over to help. "Not without me you won't! I'm going to lift this durn thing up with ya!"

"No way! You'll hurt yourself!"

"I have to! It's the least I can do! This gal came out of nowheres to help me stock up supplies and bring them to Deadwood. Now you fellas come out of nowheres! the Lord must be smiling on me for trying to do a good deed and I'm not gonna take advantage!"

Without letting him protest further, Calamity Jane crawled alongside Phineas and readied herself to lift. Jeffrey held onto the girl's arms.

"Ready, Bogg! On three! _ONE…TWO…THREE!"_

Phineas and Calamity used the full force of their backs to raise the wagon, their hands and knees ground deep into the mud. Jeffrey waited for the wagon to come high enough and when it was a foot off the ground Phineas shouted.

"Pull Jeffrey! _Pull hard!"_

Jeffrey yanked on the girl's arms, but the mud was not allowing her slide freely. "Don't drop it!" He got on his knees and dragged her from the waist and she finally slid out.

"I got her out, Bogg! Ease it down gently!"

Jeffrey helped them as soon as the wagon was lowered. They stood on wobbly knees and smiled. Calamity threw her arm over Phineas' shoulder.

"You did it, boys! Now we must get this turned over and put her inside, she's gonna catch her death!"

Phineas and Jeffrey began to push against the side of the wagon until it was upright. They leaned on it afterward; panting from all the exertion in the last few minutes. The wagon cover was a sorry sight, but from a quick glance all the necessary parts were intact and it was fit to ride again. Jeffrey crawled inside to make room for the injured woman. The rain finally slowed down, but the freezing air caused a sharp drop in the temperature. Phineas looked at the clouds overhead, he was positive they were filled with snow. He even smelled it. His hands were raw and filthy and his body shook from the bitter cold. He ignored it and ran back to Calamity.

"Don't worry, I'll get her in there." He knelt down and lifted the girl up. Calamity helped to keep her tight in his arms and threw a blanket over her shivering body.

"She's a strong-boned one ain't she? She might make a fine wife someday." Calamity hinted with a wink.

Phineas smiled. She certainly was tall, but just the right weight for her height. If they didn't get her to warmth and safety soon, she wouldn't make a fine _anything._

As Jeffrey rifled through the bags and boxes inside, he found a small, black knapsack and a gleaming device within caught his eye. He pulled it out in shock. It was an omni. Phineas came around and Jeffrey moved toward the front of the cart. Phineas placed her down lightly on the makeshift bed that Jeffrey had put together with some quilts.

"Thanks Jeff, she's breathing. I think she's going to be okay, but she still needs our help."

Phineas double-checked the omni and it was still red. He shook his head and sighed. Jeffrey handed him a hat and scarf. "Okay, Bogg, chances are Calamity Jane is the red light. Definitely not her. Calamity needs to get all this medicine to town fast."

"Yeah, this girl mentioned smallpox. Just make sure she stays warm. I'm gonna help Calamity drive this wagon out of here. What's the matter? You look like you saw the Phantom of the Opera…_umm_…sorry Jeffrey."

Phineas couldn't help mentioning the recent traumatic voyage they had to save the Paris Opera house from the greatly disturbed musician in the catacombs. It had been a voyage like no other and Jeffrey's fears of the dark and vivid nightmares were just starting to fade.

"Its okay, Bogg. You're not gonna believe this, but look what I found in her bag, at least I'm pretty sure it's hers." He whispered, holding up the omni.

"You're kidding!"

Phineas grabbed it and rolled it around in his hand. It was unlike any omni he had ever seen. It was a shining new brass model with the same open-time calibration Drake boasted on his silver one. He opened it and the red light glowing solid. It had a subdued and more pleasant beep. A yellow light lit up between the red and green ones. He fixed his eyes on the globe. The region of North America they were in was glowing and the abbreviated letters of the State faded on and off. He pointed the features out to Jeffrey.

"This is _amazing!_ I've never seen this model in my life! It has three light settings and the yellow one just stays on. You know, I had to really study my maps hard in school, this omni lights up the region!"

Phineas wanted to jump in the back and shake the girl awake for explanations, but he shut the omni and handed it to Jeffrey. "I gotta get up front now, Calamity's ready to go." He waved to the bold cowgirl. "We'll talk to her later."

"Go ahead, I'll just read _this_ to pass the time." Jeffrey pulled out a leather bound book with a golden 'V' and traced the cover. "Her name is on here, _Lillia Morgan_."

"Oooh, fancy _brown_ leather. She has a nice name, it looks like it suits her. Hey, if we don't get to this town soon, we'll all be _deadwood_!"

He ran to the front seat and grabbed the reigns from Calamity. "Which way am I going?"

"I was traveling straight ahead, shouldn't be more than a couple of miles. But you don't have to drive, I'm more than capable of handling this myself." She blew into her gloved hands and rubbed them together; her cheeks were extremely red.

"I can see that you are Calamity, but I think it would be best if you stay with Lilly back there, she may feel more comfortable around another female."

Calamity slapped her knee disgruntled_. "Alright! _You men are all alike! Y'all think a woman can't handle anything! I have to fix my wagon cover anyways." She crawled into the back and Phineas laughed. He knew Jeffrey was going to be asking her a slew of questions about her famous and often exaggerated exploits. Calamity stuck her head out and threw him a pair of warm gloves.

"And fer cryin' out loud! Put these on man, you don't want frostbite!"


	3. Hunkering in the saloon

**A Voyager in need  
**

**Chapter 3: Hunkering in the Saloon**

After two hours, Phineas pulled the wagon to a slow halt. the trip took longer than expected when the wheels had gotten caught in another mud bank. He was chilled to the core and deep frustration knitted his brow. However, his admiration for the rugged pioneers that made it through alive in these conditions grew ten-fold. He was also worried for Jeffrey, but Calamity managed to keep him entertained for most of the trip and he even took a nap. Phineas looked ahead, two bundled up men were standing by the edge of the town with their shotguns raised. Phineas jumped off and greeted them.

"Hiya fellas, we need to get through, we have…"

They aimed their guns at his chest and he backed up with his hands in the air. Jeffrey came out to his side and Phineas pushed him behind to protect him.

"Hey, sirs, we don't want any trouble here. That's not our purpose."

"Bogg, what's going on?"

"We can't let you or your family in here man, there's an epidemic and we have to contain it. No one goes in and no one goes _out."_ One of them said. He narrowed his eyes and sneezed loudly. His beard had developed icicles.

"But sir, you don't understand, we have medicines, we can help the people." Phineas objected.

Calamity jumped out of the wagon. "Hey men! Y'all know me! I sent a wire to Dr. Rogers promising him that this here medicine will get to the patients. He's expecting me! I've had small pox before and lived, I'm immune."

"And so are we." A feeble, light voice called out from the side of the wagon. "My_ husband_ and I."

Lilly wrapped her coat tighter around her body and leaned on the cart to support herself. She gave a knowing look to Phineas and he went to her side. He took her hand and put his arm across her waist. She leaned closer and whispered.

"You were inoculated in the infirmary right? Those injections are good for ten years."

"Yeah, I'm still on six, but Jeffrey isn't. He's never been to Voyager Headquarters, only to the courts."

"Courts?…never mind." Lilly looked at Jeffrey a little puzzled, but she would have to harass them about it later. She wanted to scream from the aching in her legs, but was thankful there were no broken bones.

"What's your name?"

"Phineas Bogg, the kid is Jeffrey Jones, and you're _Lillia_, right?"

"Right, but call me Lilly. Everyone does." Lilly moved forward and wanted to faint. "Slipping…falling…Phineas!"

"Sorry!" Phineas kept a tight hold on her. "There, there _honeycomb,_ you're gunna be just fine, my darlin' Lilly." He said with concerned Western gusto.

She put on her most pitiful yet tender expression, and her own faux Western accent.

"Thank you sugar _buns_…bun!…_Honey! _Please sirs, we've traveled such a long distance, my husband Phineas and Martha Jane can help ya lots. You can trust them completely. The longer you wait, the more people are gunna die. You can take the medicines for yourself and bring it in. I'll stay here with my so…_nephew_…come, Jeffrey, we can light a few lanterns to keep warm in the wagon."

The men hesitated, but Lilly's sincere plea won them over. They marched over and unloaded the wagon with Phineas. They gave a sharp look to Lilly and Jeffrey.

"You have to stay _in_ the wagon! We'll bring you some foodstuffs and quilts for your troubles, but don't come near the town. Anyone that tries to escape will be shot down." The bearded man said this with a grave conviction that hinted he had already done the deed.

"Yes, thank you so much sir! Darlin' can you help me back inside, please?"

Phineas picked her up and put her back in, then lifted Jeffrey and did the same. "We're gonna have to talk about this later."

"Bogg! I wanna go with you, _please! _It's so cold out here, and she needs to be seen by a doctor. It could get infected."

Phineas made Jeffrey cover his eyes and had Lilly reveal the upper part of her leg. A giant bruise had formed and blood trickled down the side of her calf. She recoiled from the pain that struck her sporadically. Phineas held her steady.

"Jeffrey's right, I'm sure they have a place where there are no sick ones. You can't sit out here covered in mud and dirt either. You both could freeze to death."

Phineas ran back to the men, after a brief conversation he came back happy. "Looks like we're in. They're keeping the healthy residents in the hotel saloon because they have _um_…you know…"

"An abundance of beds?" Lilly looked at him with a glint of humor in her eyes.

"Yeah, right, that kinda place, but it's getting filled fast so we have to hurry."

Calamity was already on the front seat and made Bogg get inside; she was determined to accomplish her undertaking for these sick ones.

_"Yee haw! _That sounds like my kind of place! I know that watering hole, we'll be there in a jiffy."

Phineas climbed in next to Jeffrey and crossed his legs, it was cramped in the back. Lilly sat upright, her legs straight out in front of her. They all looked at each other silently as the wagon moved forward and then Jeffrey began his interrogation.

"So, Lillia Morgan, how are you a Voyager? We saw your omni and it's fantastic! Where did you get it? How long have you been in the field?"

Lilly smiled at him. "You know I was thinking the same thing about you, Jeffrey Jones, I didn't know they had Voyager kids! I'm a Voyager because I was plucked from 2007 and put in this big blue room, had my brain probed and…_hmm_… oh, I went through about a year and a half of training."

"Brain probed? Bogg, what's she talking about?" Jeffrey stared at his partner concerned.

Bogg thought quick. "She means a…brain scan. Ya know, make sure there were no injuries on the cosmic trip in, right?"

"Oh, that makes sense."

Lilly realized that Phineas did not tell Jeffrey all the finer details of becoming a Voyager so she nodded to ward off his scathing glares.

"Yeah, they do complete medical evaluations on everyone they pluck out of time. It's no sweat." She added.

"Well I'm here because Bogg crashed into my room in 1982 and saved my life. His omni only went up to 1970 so he couldn't bring me back. We found out later that I'm _supposed_ to be a Voyager. Bogg is kinda teaching me all I need to know. We've been traveling for a year already. He's the best."

"Thanks, kid. I try."

"Wow! That's pretty neat, hands-on training. I heard something around campus about new programs being developed for it. You look like a kid from 1982, all retro with that shirt and those pants. I love that hair."

"Thanks!" Jeffrey said.

"You're welcome." She felt Phineas' eyes intensely upon her the whole time. He finally spoke again. "You have to be a rookie, that omni is so new I can see my reflection in it."

Lilly thought wistfully about what a fine reflection it was. Phineas Bogg seemed familiar to her and then she remembered. In the swimming pool area there was a giant display case. She had often looked it over and her favorite picture was of a young man in a dark full-body swimsuit. It was a playful shot and he was climbing out of the pool with a big goofy grin on his face. There were other pictures of him around it. Ones with him diving off the high board and showing off his handstands. He was absolutely gorgeous but there was one feature that she really loved in the pictures.

"I know who you are, you're _Ducky!_ The swimming champ, Phineas Bogg! Your pictures are still in the display case at the VTU!"

"What's VTU?" Jeffrey asked.

Bogg looked at her self-conscious. _"Voyager Training Unit. Yup,_ that's me, _um_, what do you mean by…Ducky?"_ 'Here it comes.'_ He thought quickly.

"Your _feet!_ They are _so _cute! Your toes are so long, and your arch does this little flip…like _flippers."_ She motioned with her hands. "Well, I don't know how that looks like a duck,. It just occurred to me to call you that when I saw it, but I don't know, ducks have flat, wide feet and all and you don't…"

Jeffrey couldn't stop laughing as she rambled on. Lilly Morgan was definitely a modern woman. The amused discomfort in Phineas' face was priceless. Phineas glanced at her muddied, cream boots.

"Speaking of feet, those are some pretty long banana boats _you_ have, ya know!"

Lilly looked at him surprised and her laughter sprang out. "Well, when you're almost six-feet tall, your feet tend to follow suit. Sorry I'm not the little size _threes_ you're used too." She folded her arms. "C'mon, I can't believe you're _that _sensitive, I was giving you a compliment. Hey, I'm sorry, I make jokes when I'm in trouble."

"Bogg's the same way." Jeffrey said.

_"Aww, _don't worry about it. He's right ya know, but I'm not sensitive at all, not really." Phineas noted.

Lilly's curled her mouth coyly. "Gee, that's too bad. Women _love_ sensitive men."

Phineas blue eyes burned into her, he was about to reply when the wagon came to an abrupt stop.

"Here's the saloon! Get her in there fast." Calamity yelled. The spunky, young cowgirl jumped off the front seat and struck up conversation with some of the townspeople lingering about.

-O-

When Phineas carried Lilly into the saloon, everyone backed away. They were all a sorry bunch, their faces cold and drawn. For the past month they lived in fear over who would be next to catch the deadly plague. All the tables were pushed into corners and the people had laid blankets down all about the room. The bar was open and serving food and hot coffee. A doctor approached them upset.

"Does she have the plague? She doesn't look so good. You can't bring her in here."

Phineas hoisted Lilly up higher. "So much for the abundance of beds." He whispered, and she scowled disappointed.

"Listen Doc, my wife was injured on the wagon when it tipped over. We were on our way with medical supplies, but she needs some attention on her leg." Phineas demanded. "I assure you, nobody is sick in my group. We're immune."

"Oh, I'm sorry then, it's been a long day and you didn't look familiar to me, bring her this way."

Phineas and Jeffrey made their way to a corner of the bar and Phineas put Lilly on a dark green quilt. The doctor assessed her injury and ordered a tin of hot water and some alcohol be brought to him.

"You and your family wouldn't happen to know Calamity Jane? She was heading this way with the medical supplies too."

"Yes, we're with her, she's outside. You must be Doctor Rogers. We managed to salvage almost all the medicine_…Owwch!_ That looks horrible."

Phineas gaped at the large circular bruise on Lilly's lower thigh. It looked even worse than in the wagon. Lilly didn't raise her dress that high earlier. The bruise was cut up in the middle and the skin around it ranged in shades from yellowish green to dark purple. As soon as the hot washcloth made contact, Lilly lost all of her composure and burst into tears. She moaned loudly. Up until now her legs had been numb with cold. Phineas crouched beside her and gripped her hand.

"Hey Lilly, you're going to be just fine, it will heal. The important thing is that you didn't break a limb. C'mon, where's the Voyager spirit?"

Lilly was sweating and she cringed when the doctor put the alcohol directly on her wound.

"I don't know! Give me some!"

Calamity raced into the bar. "Hey, where's the Doc? We need him at the schoolhouse, they're going fast!" She ran to the bar and poured herself a swig of whiskey, then wiped her mouth, feeling calmer. "I got the medicine ready to go."

Doctor Rogers handed Phineas the rag. "Here, take care of your wife and give her this if the pain becomes unbearable." He rifled in his medical bag and handed him two yellow packets. "It's morphine. This is very potent stuff, so make sure to mix it with plenty of water and go sparingly."

Phineas looked at Calamity. "But wait, I'm going with you, I want to help." Calamity came over to them and knelt down to Lilly. She brushed the hair out of her face.

"You got yourself quite a winner here. Not only is he the most dashing hunk of beef this side of America, but he's got a good heart. Don't you let him get away." She looked up at Phineas sternly.

"You are not going _anywhere._ You got me this far and I want you to stay here and take care of this girl. Look at her, she's a wreck."

Lilly's tears subsided to sniffles and she gingerly felt her hair and dress. Wreck wasn't the word. Mud was clumped and matted in her tresses and her frozen dress clung to her like a limp rag. Calamity had a sudden idea.

"I know what would do her a world of good! Help her get a nice hot bath. You can all use a change of clothes too, your boy looks like if I touch him he'll crack to pieces."

Jeffrey hopped around and rubbed his arms and legs, his lips were purple and his teeth chattered. The area around the coal stove was too crowded.

"But…but…I can't! I _mean…"_

"What?" She nudged him in the ribs. "It might give you and the little lady a bit of private time if you catch my drift. Believe you me, I know how long and lonely the nights could be on these wagon trails. I got to know her in the last day or so and she's a _great_ gal. I think you two would get along just fine. Thanks a million y'all! I hope to see ya again soon."

Phineas couldn't finish debating because she patted his back and ran out of the saloon with the doctor. He grumbled and opened his omni. It was a green light.

"Well, at least we fixed this. Now we can move on to better pastures, but Calamity's right about the change of clothes. C'mon, Jeff."

Lilly put a hand out to him. "Hey, what about me? You're not going to leave me here like this? I mean, I can get out in my own time, but I'm still hurting. He didn't even get to dress the wound."

Jeffrey looked at her sympathetically. "We're not gonna leave you, Lilly." He looked at Phineas curiously, but then took charge of the situation. "I'll go ask around and get us some blankets and stuff, and _Bogg_ will set you up that hot bath. It's better if you bandage the wound after you got clean."

"Thanks, Jeffrey, at least someone cares about the Voyager code. A Voyager doesn't leave a fallen comrade." She said offended.

"Yeah, I remember someone once told me that too." With a scathing glance at Phineas, Jeffrey went up to the bartender to inquire for warm coverings. Phineas shrugged and picked up the alcohol towel.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" Lilly demanded.

Phineas' eyes widened. "I don't know what all this fuss is about. I never said I was leaving you, Lilly. Of course I'm gonna to stay here and help you, what kind of man do you think I am?"

Lilly was disappointed in Phineas – the so-called legend. "Okay, you don't have to snap at me. This was my voyage in the first place. You shouldn't have even bothered to help if it was such a hassle. I guess you probably feel useless since Calamity won't let you help her out there." She crossed her arms and looked away.

"Another rule, Voyagers never leave a red light zone unattended. You needed us on the road. What more can I do now anyway? It's green."

"Then what's your problem? Look, I thought you guys were okay, well, Jeffrey is. Just give me the change of clothes and get out of here." She retorted.

He looked at her in disbelief. _"What? _We can't do that."

"Yes you can! I can walk a little, I can draw a bath. I can do anything I have to! I'm a Voyager too." She tried to crawl away and leaned on the wall to stand. "_Dammit!_ I feel like a corpse in a death photo! I need a prop between my legs!"

Phineas pulled her down gently with an apologetic look.

"Lilly, Lilly, _wait,_ I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so rough. I'm not like that. I'm just worn out and freezing too. I'm also a little shocked to be bumping into another Voyager, but it has happened before."

Phineas was thinking of the Titanic. He knew that his sour temper was because he put himself on guard – ever since Olivia Dunn rubbed him the wrong way. Lilly did not have that history of competition with him. She didn't even know him and it wasn't fair to her.

"Just stay put, okay? I'll get your bath set up now."

Phineas was directed to a back room. He felt the sultry eyes of the bar women staring him up and down and he called one of them.

"Listen, I need a quick favor."

The woman sauntered over and put her leg up on a chair, rustling her skirt. "Favor?…_hmm,_ you came to the right woman for a quick one. But I usually I get paid for my services." She stroked his cheek. "Aww, heck, but for you gorgeous, I'll bend over backwards!" All the bar women laughed hysterically and did just that teasingly.

Phineas rolled his eyes and dipped into his pouch for a coin. "Not _that_ kind of favor. I need you to help me get some toiletries and a new dress for that girl over there. She's hurt in the leg badly."

The woman snatched the coin and bit it to make sure it was real. She gave it a flip and shoved it in her dress pocket. "You're quite a _gentleman!_ I guess I could help you, but maybe you could do something for me. I'm cold and lonely too." She toyed with the buttons on his coat, but Phineas put her hands down.

"I gave you money for the services I want rendered, that's enough. I'm sorry, I'm not interested."

The woman was taken aback that he didn't accept her proposal. "Fine _then!_ But you're the one missing out. The bath is in the back room to the left. We already have water boiling, I'll get the princess some towels and soap."

She turned on her heels fast and went upstairs. When she returned, Phineas was pouring the boiling water in the large tin tub and Jeffrey came in supporting Lilly.

_"Ohh,_ that looks so nice, thank you, really."

"Do you need any more help? I can send one of the women in here."

Lilly cracked a good-natured smile. "No, no, I'm okay. I just need your help to peel these boots off my banana boats."

-O-

Within the next hour, the Voyagers all had a chance to get cleaned and changed. The three of them sat in the corner of the bar and watched as heavy, wet, snowflakes swirled outside. The town of Deadwood lived up to its name tonight. Only a few lanterns eerily lighted the main thoroughfare. They sipped on hot cocoa and finished off a filling meal of meat, beans and potatoes. It was compliments of the bartender for bringing the medicine. He offered them whatever they needed for comfort. His little daughter was one of the afflicted and on the brink of dying when the Doctor gave her a serum. The Voyagers were so happy to hear that her fever went down and was holding steady at one hundred degrees.

"So, I'm a rookie. It's only my first month. Gosh, that must be painfully obvious." Lilly tried to shift her position and yelped from the throbbing. Phineas made a move to help her but she denied it. The soreness had slowly eased up now that she was treated.

"Why does the omni have three lights, what's the yellow one do?" Jeffrey asked.

"To be honest, I don't know. It seems like only a few others and myself were given these prototypes. If you take a look, it also has an activation button over it. Maybe it means_ slow down, _or, history is _almost_ fixed? Like a stoplight? I know that doesn't make sense."

"Sometimes Voyagers Headquarters does things at random, they never seem to give us a warning."

"Yeah, they didn't explain it to us. Wanna hear something totally cool?"

"Yeah!" Jeffrey said.

"No more rough landings. This omni materializes you right in the area you need to be, and it's so quick that if there were eye-witnesses, they would barely notice."

"Awesome! Like Star-Trek!"

"That's right! Let me see yours."

Jeffrey and Phineas looked at each other and Phineas pulled his omni off his belt. He gave it to her and she giggled.

"Oh my goodness, this is _a relic!_ When was the last time you came to Headquarters, Phineas? They've upgraded two times since these babies."

"It has been a while, hasn't it Jeff?"

"For you maybe, I've never even been there…not really."

"I think you'd really love it, Jeff, there are all sorts of things to do on campus." Lilly said.

"Really? Hey Bogg, how come we never went to VHQ for a vacation?"

_"VHQ?_ Believe me Jeff I don't think of a vacation when I hear those three letters. I'm haunted with visions of strict professors, study halls, and tests."

Lilly laughed gaily. "I get it, you were one of the jocks right?"

"Not completely. Okay, I lied earlier, I _do_ have a sensitive side. I did very well in the arts." He said proudly.

"That's because they don't grade you for that."

Everyone laughed. Phineas appreciated Lilly's quick wit and she was a lively conversationalist. He took a moment to observe her. He was struck with an impression, but it was more of a revelation for him. Voyager Lilly Morgan was extremely pretty. He couldn't think of a more fitting word for her. He thought of all the beautiful women he had the pleasure to be around in his time, but the word 'beautiful' had grown redundant. To be 'pretty' was to be graceful and appealing and Lilly's pure face and shapely figure had both of those qualities.

Her eyes were narrow and almond-shaped, colored a delicate blend of light green and gold. She had a cute nose and well-formed lips that puffed out adorably when she was serious or confused. Phineas was still jaded from the Paris Opera voyage. His romantic feelings for Opera Singer Christina Nilsson had taken a while to dissipate. Mabel Hubbard's face flashed through his mind. Yes, she was one of the 'pretty' ones too. He learned to chalk his desires up as an occupational hazard of the job…falling in love and not being able to do a thing about it.

_'What am I thinking? I'm not falling in love with Lillia Morgan.'_ He thought fast.

Lilly yawned and she lay down on the pillows. "I'm sorry guys, but I really need to sleep."

"I was just going to suggest that." Phineas said quietly. Jeffrey scooted against the wall with some pillows. Phineas waited until he saw Lilly was fast asleep. He carefully put another quilt around her and then joined Jeffrey. He passed him a blanket.

"Hey, so what do you think? How long should we stay, Bogg?" Jeffrey asked, his voice heavy with exhaustion. He rubbed his eyes and turned around until he was comfortable. He was already nodding off.

Phineas adjusted his pillows and lay back with his arms behind his head, keeping his gaze fixated on Lilly.

"As long as it takes kid, as long as it takes."


	4. See you again, Ducky

**A Voyager in need  
**

**Chapter 4: See you again, Ducky**

Phineas woke up to cheerful music and laughter. He remained still for a moment. His body felt the harsh strain from the rigorous work he had done the other day. Looking around, he realized that Jeffrey and Lilly were not on the quilts. He forced himself up and washed his face from the bowl of warm water and soap the bartender provided. He approached the center of the bar astonished. The engaging music came from Lilly. She was playing the piano, surrounded by everyone else in the saloon. Jeffrey was nearby and waved him to come, he was caught up in the merriment. Phineas pulled out a chair next to Jeffrey and Lilly winked at him.

"_A kiss on the hand may be quite continental, but diamonds are a girl's best friend! A kiss may be grand but it won't pay the rental on your humble flat, or help you at the automat. Men grow cold as girls grow old and we all lose our charms in the end.__ But square-cut or pear-shaped these rocks don't lose their shape! Diamonds are a girl's best friend!'_

_'What is she doing?' _Phineas thought. He went to the piano and closed the lid, abruptly ending her song. Everyone booed him away.

"Oh, that's the _flop _from last night! Come to ruin the party _again!"_ Phineas turned at the insult and saw the bar women making faces at him. The blonde one who helped Lilly find a dress was the culprit. "Why don't you step aside and let her finish, bright eyes. We love her songs!"

Phineas ignored her and knelt down to Lilly. "Lilly! What's going on here? You know as well as I do that these songs are from the twentieth century. You can't mess with history like that. Didn't they teach you that in class? It's one thing to stay in a time-zone and recuperate, it's another to make yourself known and…"

Lilly grinned lopsided, her eyes were oddly glazed over. "I_ know, _Ducky! 'The Butterfly effect.' C'mon, I'm just having some fun. Don't be a grouch. Now move it or lose it, I want to finish the song."

She pushed him aside and turned to the crowd. "Sorry! My…_brother_ is such a party pooper! I got more songs in me! Tons!"

"Then keep on playin' doll face!" A cowboy yelled from the back.

Lilly struck up a few chords and continued the Marilyn Monroe tune. The saloon started jumping again. Her frothy music was helping everyone to take his or her minds off the epidemic. Phineas rolled his eyes and joined Jeffrey to eat some breakfast. As soon as her next song ended she bounded to the table. She happily buttered up her toast and dipped it in her eggs. Her whole demeanor was playful, but frenzied. Phineas looked on surprised.

"Just yesterday you were in torture and pain, now you're hopping around like Bozo the clown, what happened?"

Lilly leaned over and played with his hair and then laughed aloud again. She slammed the table. "Bozo the clown! That's a good one! Well Ducky, remember the little yellow packets the doctor gave you?"

"Oh no, _you didn't_!" Phineas patted down his back pockets, they were both gone.

"Oh yes I did, _sugar buns!_ Half the fun was retrieving them! Why were you holding out on me? That stuff is _great!_ I mean, I know all about drugs being bad and I'm _not_ addicted, but I really needed something and it worked so fast. It's…it's…medicinal. I feel wonderful!" She slurred with giggles.

Lilly motioned to get up and dance, but Phineas held her down. "Lilly, what do you think is gonna happen when it wears off? Your putting wear and tear on the wound and it won't heal right. Now just relax and stop with the modern songs, we can't stay here much longer. Give me the other packet."

Lilly swatted his coat and pursed her lips like an angry little girl. She dug into the front of her shirt and threw it at him. "Okay,_ Phineas,_ I know. You're the seasoned Voyager and I'm the rookie." She playfully nudged him over and over until he pushed her hand away. "Wasn't there ever a time you had to overstep the rules a bit?"

Jeffrey choked on his orange juice from laughter and Phineas gave him a dirty look.

"You mean is there ever a time he _doesn't_ overstep the rules! C'mon on, Bogg, _Babe Ruth_, I taught you to pitch 1982 style and what happened? They were taking your picture for the morning paper!"

"Jeffrey! That was a red light zone, it was necessary to help…"

"Bogg, give it up! Remember Pearl Harbor and _Jackie?_ First we had to stop her from getting lost in space and later she let us take the army vehicle back to 1860 to help Bill Cody and the Pony Express!"

Lilly looked at Phineas amazed and she wagged her finger. _"Tsk! Tsk!_ Ducky, talk about a butterfly effect! I wonder how many people in history have seen you disappear too?"

Jeffrey was about to answer again and Phineas gave him a warning gaze. He continued to eat his breakfast. "Well, we can't leave you until the morphine wears off and you can get around on that leg again."

"Oh, _yes you can. _I mean…you don't have to…but I saw Calamity earlier. She told me I can stay at her place until I'm better. In fact she invited us all to stay. I think she likes you, Ducky. Calamity is a woman of the world. She's been around the block a few times like those charming ladies over there, she told me so."

"Will you quit it with the _Ducky_ stuff! And do you _mind_? There's a kid here. We have to leave. Jeff and I actually have a _job_ to do."

Lilly's mood shifted and she seized his collar. "And you don't think I don't? I'm sorry I got injured, but I can't go back to VHQ for this. They'll pull me right out of the field. What would they think? One month on the job and _boom_, hurt already! I'm not going lose this position. I love it and I do take my work very seriously."

Lilly slumped in her chair, tears pooled in her eyes. "I know I'm a lousy Voyager, but I'll get better, I just started!"

Phineas gave her a quick hug. "Lilly, we never called you a lousy Voyager, don't ever think that about yourself. You were trained by the best and they wouldn't have chosen you in the first place if they didn't see certain qualities that would be right for the job. You have to believe that, okay?"

Lilly smiled through her tears, she was still clinging to him. "Okay, you know you're not as bad as I was starting to think Duc…_Phineas_."

"Thanks. I'm really not bad at all. Okay_…okay_.…alright, Lilly!" He had to shake her off his neck when she started to kiss it and Jeffrey laughed.

Phineas sat back and lifted the glass to his lips. "I'll drink to that! Looks like we'll be spending another full day inside this saloon, we might as well get comfortable."

Jeffrey was finished with his breakfast. "Why don't we play some cards or something? C'mon, Bogg, show her how Schnibbits is done!"

-O-

Throughout the afternoon, Phineas and Jeffrey put up with Lilly's crazy antics and mood swings. At one point the bar women dolled her up, coloring the light brown beauty mole on her cheek a deep black and rouging her lips and cheeks. Phineas promptly washed it off her before she could begin her new _'career_._'_ She beat Phineas twice in poker and played a game of _Tequila Cruda_ with some of the other cowboys. When Phineas and Jeffrey returned from chopping firewood, he saw them all licking the salt off the back of their hands, downing straight shots of whiskey, and sucking on lemons. Lilly was winning.

Within the next hour, Lilly's constitution severely gave way. Her face went pallid and she ran to the washroom, holding her mouth. She threw herself on the floor and puked violently in a bucket. Phineas was right on her tail. She begged him to leave her alone.

"_Puh...puh...please…_just go away! This is so gross!" She cried out. Her stomach heaved again and she dipped her head to let out more vomit.

"I'm not going anywhere until you're through! _Bat's breath! _I knew this was gonna happen. Now don't let it sit in your stomach, use those two fingers!" He ordered.

Phineas stayed vigilant at her side, making sure she removed the morphine and alcohol from her system. At one point she became so faint her head nearly fell into the mess, but Phineas held it erect. He grabbed a towel and wiped her mouth each time more came up.

Lilly wasn't sure how long she had been stooped over that bucket, but when her stomach felt empty she collapsed in his arms and cried. Phineas held her and stroked her hair until she was able to calm down and control the shaking.

"Okay, okay, it's over. The worst is_…out. _You're gonna be fine, Lilly. I'm _here."_

He helped her wash up and put her on the quilts in the corner. After sponging the sweat from her brow and treating her wound, Phineas lay back next to her. He kept an eye on Jeffrey. He was doing fine and was occupied talking to and playing games with others his age.

Lilly tapped him with a weak smile and pointed in to the upstairs rooms. "Hey you, don't get too cozy around here, they were starting to flip coins over who'll try to seduce you first! That blonde with the acne actually had the nerve to use a two headed coin!"

Phineas laughed wryly. "Well, that could have easily been avoided if you had stuck to the story that I was your _husband_ and not your_ brother_."

"Sorry, I was irritated. Just watch out, you don't want to make a bad impression on Jeffrey."

"The kid and I do just fine. I'm trying to be a good role-model, but it's a struggle."

"I know, really. Keep it up. Jeff's such a great kid with so many sweet qualities, you don't want him to lose that." She murmured. Lilly stroked his hand and he caressed hers. She pulled it away with an affectionate look and fell asleep.

-O-

By the time Phineas and Jeffrey left the saloon with Lilly, she was back to feeling extreme pain in her leg and giving way to aggravated tears. Phineas made sure that Jeffrey was covered inside the wagon, in case he was exposed to any smallpox germs. Anyone who had to walk around town wore a kerchief over their mouth and Phineas did the same. He tried to hold back his tears as he saw families crying and mourning their dead loved ones. Covered bodies of all sizes were brought out and put onto one Prairie Schooner wagon. The Sheriff of Deadwood decided that they must be cremated far from town to kill the spread of the disease. There was no time for proper goodbyes and burials.

Phineas pulled up to Calamity's house by nightfall, she was expecting them and had dinner prepared. Phineas and Jeffrey ate quick and claimed they had to get out of the town soon. Nobody argued with that. Phineas also warned Calamity in private to be very frugal if she decided to use the morphine.

After their goodbyes, the Voyagers stood on the porch. The falling snow was exceptionally picturesque against the rugged landscape. Lilly gazed ahead serenely. She leaned on the doorway and kept a violet shawl draped over her arms. Phineas admired her profile as the soft lighting from inside cast a warm radiance around her.

"I really appreciate the help you both gave me. I'm sorry for all the trouble I put you through yesterday and this morning."

Lilly couldn't meet Phineas' eyes when she recalled her vomiting incident, but he had made no further mention of it. Phineas Bogg had seen her at her absolute worst – ratted hair, dirty clothes, no makeup, puffy, bloodshot eyes, sweaty and spewing her guts. Through it all, he remained a complete gentleman and he never once backed away disgusted or made jokes at her expense afterward. He was just relieved that the morphine and alcohol mix didn't have a more adverse affect on her. She quickly changed the subject.

"Calamity's a rough and tough gal, but I don't know where we would be if you hadn't come. What brought you to this time-zone anyway?"

"I don't know for sure." Phineas answered. "We had a run-in with some Tahitian natives and I turned the omni for any time zone without looking. It just happened to be here. Are you sure you want to stay, I mean Calamity's a bit of a…"

"Profanity spewing drunk? I know that, but she was also renowned for her kindness. I'll be fine. I can't let VHQ know this. Promise me you won't tell them." She pleaded and he cracked a big smile.

He snapped his finger. "I was just about to write my dissertation for the Tribunal as soon as we left! Thanks for reminding me."

Lilly came closer and elbowed him. "You wouldn't dare!"

"I dare a lot, Lilly, but don't worry, your secret is safe with us."

Lilly grinned, then hugged Jeffrey and kissed him on the head. "Don't cut that hair or do any strange things to it!" She admonished.

"Alright, Lilly! This will be my permanent style. I think it fits in most time zones, like Bogg's pirate clothes."

Lilly hugged Phineas tight and just as she pulled away, he kissed her on the lips. The sweet moment passed before either could fully react. Lilly looked down and Phineas stepped away, opening his omni. However, the blush on his cheeks was evident.

_"Uhh, _hang on Jeff. Lilly, it's been quite a voyage. I really wish you the best out there. Take care of yourself." Phineas swallowed hard as he looked into her eyes.

She gave him a pat on the arm. "I'll do the best I can. You too. Hey Jeff, look out for him okay? He's a troublemaker." She winked at him.

"Will do, Lilly. I don't let him get away with anything." He said seriously, but then melted into laughter.

"Maybe I'll see you again, _Ducky_."

"Well, only if I happen to _waddle_ to your time-zone, _darling Lilly_." Phineas grinned.

Jeffrey knew exactly what was happening between them and he dug his fingers into Phineas' arm. "Bogg, we should go before Calamity sees us leave."

_"Oh_…right! Bye, Lilly."

Phineas pushed his omni and they took off. Lilly remained on the porch and smiled wistful. She definitely wouldn't mind seeing them again, but for now, she needed to heal and get back into the infinite field voyaging.


	5. Avalanche!

**A Voyager in need  
**

**Chapter 5: Avalanche!**

Lilly could not believe she had let herself get into this predicament. A few hours earlier her omni brought her to a railway station in Steven's Pass, Washington. The date was March 1st, 1910. Sleet and snow came down furiously and all the trains were stalled. On this particular passenger train young Mary Pickford and her little siblings Lottie and Jack were traveling with their mother and a third-rate theater troupe. As soon as Lilly found out they were on this train she scoured her guidebook. The information startled her.

_'All the efforts of the railway to get the trains to safely across the pass and off the mountain failed. The snowplows were out of coal, the food was low, the snow was falling at one foot each hour, and a tremendous lightning storm had been raging for hours. In the middle of the night a large avalanche came down and struck both trains. The force of the sliding snow pushed both trains into the Tye river valley, one hundred fifty feet below. Mixed in the avalanche were large trees and boulders, which added to the power of the fast moving snow to destroy the train cars. When it was all over, the trains had plummeted and rolled more than 1,000 feet and were buried under 40 feet of snow and debris. Ninety six people were killed in the avalanche.'_

Lilly hoped this was the wrong train. After obtaining proper clothing she made some inquiries and her hopes were dashed. There were two involved in the accident, one was for local passengers and the other was a fast mail train from the East. Lilly happened upon the Pickford family in a small restaurant. She pretended to be an aspiring actress that was so excited to meet a theater troupe on board. Her enthusiasm sparked a round of animated discussions between her and the family and the other actors.

Lilly waited until dessert to bring up the weather and rough conditions. Outside, the raging winds and lightning only supported her claims. She made known her firm 'resolve' to wait for the next trains that would pull through. She invented many excuses, which were actually truths. The mountain was treacherous; coal was running out and there wasn't much food on board if they were to get stranded. Mary's mother Charlotte took these warnings to heart. Having been born and raised in Canada, she understood the severity of this weather. Young Mary was much harder to convince. In her eyes the show had to go on, no matter the hardship.

Lilly wandered over to Mary, who sat listless beside the window, and staring at the heavy snowfall.

"Mary, you know your mother's right. This weather is unpredictable. Nature is unpredictable."

"But Lilly, we have a show to do! It's our bread and butter, you know?"

Lilly sat beside her. "I understand that, but what's more important? A few dollars, or your life? What about the other actors? Some of them are really scared. Are you really going to force them to take this train just to satisfy your pride?"

Mary gaped at her, but then hung her head. She realized Lilly was right. "I guess so. I don't want them to be mad at me."

"What's one more day?" Lilly smiled and put her arm over her. "Mary, I think you're destined to be a star, you'll be queen of Hollywood! Just keep applying your talents, _and_ learn to play it safe."

When the train conductor announced it was time for the passengers to get back on board, Lilly peeked at her omni and she had a green light. However, the yellow light went on. Lilly ignored it, assuming the techs at Headquarters were fiddling around with their prototypes. The Pickford family, along with the actors and actresses, and even other diners who had over heard the conversation, had decided to wait the storm out until the next morning.

Lilly didn't know that a very scurrilous character watched her during dinner. When she buttoned up her coat and stepped outside, he followed. He was carrying a bunch of parcels, and made like he was running for the train. He knocked into Lilly right before she had a chance to omni away. All the parcels scattered and it fell out of her hand. The man apologized profusely and helped her up, at the same time, he pocketed her omni.

Lilly had gone into a state of panic; her fingers went numb searching for her omni through the snowdrifts. The other passengers thought she was mad crawling about on the platform. Then she realized the man tricked her, the parcels were empty boxes and he had left them lying about when he quickly boarded the train. The train had begun to pull away and Lilly took a flying leap on the back exit. At first she was dragged, the tracks tore at her long woolen dress and the hail stung her. She forced herself up the railing just before it picked up full speed. She couldn't remember the thief's face, because the sleet had blind-sided her. He wore a derby; He was clean-shaven and most likely in his thirties. She slammed the door frustrated, startling some other passengers.

"Sorry…I just needed some air, boy is that wind howling or what?"

She smiled, and ran to an empty train compartment. She took a deep breath, trying not to give way to tears. She had to find this man and get it back, but right now she was a helpless stowaway on a train headed for destruction.

-Oo-

Phineas and Jeffrey landed into a compartment without much fanfare; the seats were thick and soft. They noticed that the woman sitting across from them didn't even look up. She had her head in her knees and her body heaved as if she was crying or in pain. Phineas checked the omni; the red light gave a distorted beep. He shook it and it returned to normal.

"Bogg! Look at it outside; it's a hurricane and blizzard in one…_woah!_ Did you see that lightning? It hit a tree! Where are we?"

Jeffrey grabbed his arm scared when the overhead lights flickered and the hail rattled the windows. The hailstones were so heavy they made dents on the train metal.

Phineas was too intent on the woman so Jeffrey took the omni. "March 1st, 1910, Washington…hey, is she going to be okay?"

The woman drew a gasp and lifted her head up. Phineas nearly jumped out of his seat.

"Lilly! Is that you? I mean…are you okay? It's us, Phineas and Jeff!"

It had been over a month since she had seen the two Voyagers and thankfulness washed over her. Lilly glared at them and broke into another fit of crying. Phineas leaped beside her.

"What is it? What happened?"

"My omni! A man knocked me down and stole it, I almost didn't make it on the train, but he's on here! It's already a green light! I fixed history. And that stupid yellow _'I don't have a purpose!'_ light is on too! In a while we're going to be passing the town of Wellington but we won't make it. The Guidebook said there's going to be an avalanche! All these people are going to die!"

Jeffrey looked out the window frightened. The train was heading toward the mountains. He tugged on Phineas' arm.

"Bogg, let's get of here! C'mon, we'll take her with us!"

Phineas stood up fast. "No, we have to get that omni first, Jeff. Lilly, where did he go? It doesn't matter, I'll find him, what does he look like?"

Lilly stood up, she wanted to pull her hair out. "I'm not sure Phineas, it all happened so fast!" The mountains lit up ominous as lightning flashed and her face turned ashen. She pulled on his shirt. "I can't stay on here! It's so high! We're so high! Please get me off!"

Phineas placed her in the seat and hugged her to ease her fears. Jeffrey felt bad, but whispered to his friend.

"How is she a Voyager if she's afraid of heights, Bogg?"

"Hey, we all have our fears, she's learning to deal with it. Right now she's also panicking about other things."

He bade Lilly to look at him and he held her shoulders. "I want you to wait here in the car, Jeff and I will go out and search for this man."

"He...he was wearing a black derby, but that's all I remember…he was American, maybe his mid-thirties…dark hair!"

"He shouldn't be too hard to find, let's go Jeff."

Jeffrey clutched her hand and then followed his partner through the cars. He understood the horrible feelings that came with a lost omni. It was already a late hour, and many passengers had fallen asleep. Jeffrey nudged him to the side of the dining car.

"Bogg…we can't just walk around like this, opening people's car doors. The ticket collector is going to catch us."

"Yeah, but not if I can help it, or anybody else."

"Oh no…what are we gonna do? Steal his clothes?"

"No! I got a better idea."

-Oo-

Phineas buttoned up the long black coat he had taken from one of the suitcases and tied a handkerchief tightly around his mouth. He kept his hands in his pockets to mimic guns. Jeffrey shook his head in disbelief.

"And I thought gambling for Harriet's freedom was the dumbest idea you ever had. I can't believe you!"

"Will you relax? This is the best way for me to try and get that omni, do I look mean enough?" He asked in a muffled voice.

"If you had a real gun you might."

"Forget it! Listen, will you tie that thing around your mouth already? You're my partner in crime and I need you to 'collect' the merchandise."

"And what if they get us, Bogg? Then what? In these days men made no bones about shooting villains down!"

"Nobody is going to shoot around here, if that happens we'll tell them the truth. Let's go!"

Phineas cleared his throat loudly at the head of the train and hollered in his gruffest tone.

"Alright everybody! This is a hold-up! I want you to put your hands in the air and don't put them down until I tell you too. Do it now, or else I'll pump ya full of lead!"

The passengers went into a fright and Phineas almost wanted to back down. Children cried and women whimpered in shock, clutching their purses. He was looking into the terrified faces of these doomed people and it tugged at his heart. He scanned the first train car; nobody seemed to fit the description. He and Jeffrey walked from compartment to compartment menacing the people inside.

"I want everyone to display the valuables! Whatever you have in your pockets, take it out now!"

Jeffrey reluctantly nudged them to put their money and jewelry in the sack he carried.

"You heard the man, do what he says or else! He especially likes pocket watches!" Jeffrey knew he was going to hate himself if they got out of this alive.

The train became filled with the sound of rustling purses and suitcases. Lilly peeked out of her compartment and stifled a gasp. She couldn't believe what Voyager Bogg was doing. And he tried to act like his methods were by the book. She rose unsteadily and walked down the aisle. She spotted the derby hanging in an overhead partition and marched up to the man's seat. He was fast asleep and she saw a round shape in his left breast pocket. Just as she reached for it, the man's eyes flew open and he grabbed her wrist.

"Hey now pretty lady! Stealing my property?" He gripped tighter and she punched him with her free arm. He was knocked into the window and she lunged on top of him, tearing at his coat.

"That belongs to me!" She wrangled the omni from him and fell out of the carriage door.

Lilly staggered and ran toward Phineas and Jeffrey. The man jumped her and she landed on the floor. Lilly let out a cry for help. A few carriage doors opened and other men tried to come to her aide. The thief reached for his belt and pulled out a pistol. They backed away quick, having their own families to protect.

There was a thunderous rumble and a deafening sound of cracked ice. The train chugged too slow. It would never get beyond the mountains. The conductor shouted for more coal to speed up the train, but it was too late. A cascade of snow hurtled down. Phineas and Jeffrey heard Lilly scream and they dropped the charade and the bags. They ran ahead two cars and found her struggling with the pickpocket. He was trying to retrieve the omni and was ready to strike her face with his gun. Phineas dove onto him and they rolled into an open compartment. Jeffrey pulled her up and she kept hold of her omni for dear life.

"Bogg! Forget him! Avalanche!"

A ferocious wall of snow slammed into the train. The lights went dead and the passengers screamed for their lives. The snow plowed right into the train cars. Those who sat near the windows were killed instantly. Lilly grabbed Jeffrey and they were thrown backwards. Phineas kicked the man off him and took a sock to the jaw, but he managed to get free of his clutches. He saw the pistol lying a few feet away and pushed it far from the thief.

"Jeffrey! Lilly! Where are you?"

He stayed on all fours and attempted to crawl, but the train began sliding at top speed downhill, the force rolled him into adjacent compartments and bags and suitcases banged off of him. He heard Jeffrey call out through the darkness. They weren't far. The train lurched; the first few cars crashed into a huge tree and the avalanche forced them to roll over. Phineas did all he could to protect his head, he glanced up in horror and saw a telephone poll ready to crash through the window directly into the thief.

Lilly managed to find Phineas and she grabbed onto his ankle. Jeffrey clutched her waist and she pushed the omni just as the pole rammed into their compartment. Within seconds of their departure, the train smashed into a giant stone and landed into a deep snow-bank.

-Oo-

The Voyagers materialized on a tropical beach. Lilly remembered that she adjusted her omni at some point to take her to a warmer climate after the Washington voyage. Phineas was still face-down, his arms covering his head. He lifted himself up halfway and spit out sand and grit. His muscles ached from being banged around inside the train car. He sat up and shook off his disorientation. A lump formed on his head. Jeffrey was still holding onto Lilly for dear life, his eyes squeezed shut. When the warm air hit him he opened his eyes alarmed and rolled off of her. They were all battered and bruised.

"That's it? We made the voyage? That was so fast! I didn't even feel it!" He was still in distress from the avalanche and clambered to Phineas. He gave him a big hug and cried.

"All those people, the noise! I almost…I thought…you didn't make it!"

"I'm here Jeff, I'm okay. For a second there I thought I bought it too, but then Lilly saved me."

Lilly rose up to her knees, watching them through tears.

"I'm…I…I can't believe that!"

Phineas smiled and held out his hand. "Believe it." She gripped it tight. He pulled her close and they all embraced as one.


	6. The final test of a VHQ success!

**A Voyager in need**

**Chapter 6: The final test of a VHQ success!**

*A/N:_ I'm once again borrowing 'Bobby' from the Voyagers Aide series, but this series is not connected to those. :)*_

Lilly Morgan was completely terrified. She lay flat and stiff on the cracked wooden beams and slats. She kept her arms out in front of her and gripped the other boards for dear life. Splinters prodded her hands. She maneuvered her feet against the wood until she created a secure wedge for her body. She wouldn't dare to move a centimeter. Her own personal blend of acrophobia and vertigo kicked in big time. She looked between the boards and all she could see was the rushing river slamming against jagged rocks. A gigantic canyon surrounded her. The weather was hot and humid and sweat poured down her face. It burned her eyes and she couldn't brush it away.

"Please don't let me puke!" She prayed aloud. Why was she always in trouble that involved vomiting?

After the avalanche incident, the Voyagers had found food to eat on the island, and then parted ways. Lilly had lingered, sick to her stomach and nearly devastated. The Wellington disaster was her first time involved in a major tragedy and it shocked her nerves. She didn't share her fears to Phineas and Jeffrey, but Phineas understood. A Voyager had to be courageous in the face of all danger. They had to be prepared to accept that tragedies occurred every day and know that preventing them would disrupt the time-line. Jeffrey brought that point home when he mentioned the Titanic voyage.

Lilly didn't realize that Voyager Olivia Dunn had a semi-sweet relationship with Phineas Bogg and the fact disappointed her. Lilly tried to focus on her career. She didn't have time to fool around with these Voyager romances. They carried on across the stream of time, but never actually went _anywhere_. Maybe that's why Voyager Dunn was sometimes bitter about the men at VHQ. Lilly decided that when she fell in love, she wanted it to be real and lasting. She also told herself to keep dreaming.

This was the third month of her 'Voyager Probation' period. At the close of each month she had to return to Headquarters with a full report of her fieldwork. There was no use in lying to the OCC, the omni memory recorder picked up certain activities. She thought for sure that they would suspend her after the blunder with the morphine, but some of the evaluators actually laughed. When she reported about the avalanche, she was certain they would snatch the omni right out of her hands just as the thief did. That didn't happen either. It seemed as though the OCC merely took notes and made private evaluations. They still didn't explain the yellow light and she didn't have the courage to ask, in case they changed their minds. No one even wondered why Voyagers Bogg and Jones just happened to be at these locations every time she was in danger. This confused her, but she didn't care as long as she still had her job.

Lilly had a chance to catch up with some old friends at the Academy. She was hardly surprised when she found out that Jeannie Hornsby was discharged from her fieldwork and placed behind a desk in the back corner of the Voyager Archives. Danny, who adored her so much, had nothing but scorn for her now. Apparently, Jeannie was making too many 'blips' on the time-line radars with her lusty endeavors. Lilly always knew Jeannie deserved what was coming to her. Jeannie was book smart, but knew next to nothing about survival skills. Lilly wondered what would have happened if Jeannie had crossed paths with Voyager Bogg. The thoughts made her head spin, Ducky was_ hers_, she decided on a whim, but she knew it wasn't fair to make claims.

Presently, Lilly's mind whirled again. She was trapped on the suspension bridge and her fears would not allow her to move. When she materialized ten minutes earlier she took a few strides forward and tripped over a loose rope. The entire two hundred and twenty foot bridge swayed precariously from the impact. She could only hear the sounds of jungle birds in the distance and heavy winds echoing off the gorge. There was not a human soul in sight. Had she not grabbed the rope railings she would have flipped over and fell one hundred and twenty feet down to a shattering demise.

-Oo-

Phineas and Jeffrey made a coarse landing in a patch of shrubbery. Jeffrey rolled onto to his side and came face to face with a giant snake. Its hissing tongue licked at his nose. Jeffrey froze and his eyes nearly crossed staring it down. Phineas was already up and pulled the leaves off his hair.

"Bat's breath! I swear I didn't hit the omni."

"Bogg." Jeffrey whispered_. "Bogg! _Sssnake…_snake_!"

Phineas yawned, and as he stretched, he turned to his partner. His eyes widened and he made no sudden moves, realizing Jeffrey's predicament. The snake moved from side to side and Jeffrey mimicked him, holding his breath. An itch on his nose assailed him and he had to twitch it. Phineas furtively moved behind the serpent with his hands outstretched. Jeffrey's eyes watered and he felt a huge sneeze coming on. The snake sensed his discomfort and drew back, baring his long fangs. Phineas had to act now. He wrenched the snake off the ground and flung it across the shrubbery.

_"A…A…A…CHOO!"_ Jeffrey's sneeze disturbed a flock of birds nesting overhead and they heard the echoes of the _'choo' _throughout the gorge.

_"Woah,_ now that woke up the jungle!" Phineas remarked, lifting his partner up. "Are you okay, Jeff?"

"Yeah, that was close, Bogg, thanks! Hey, where are we? It's _so _hot! I hate landing in places with mosquitoes!" He whacked a few off his neck.

"The omni's a red light, barely though. This old thing is dying, Jeff."

"Looks like you're gonna have to go to VHQ and replace it."

"Don't remind me. I don't wanna, I've grown pretty attached to it." Phineas sulked.

"I guess I understand. Well, you can always shine it up, mount it in a case."

"Good idea. Voyager Peters will keep it safe for me. We're somewhere in Peru, 1526." Phineas clasped it back on his belt.

Jeffrey thought a minute then snapped his fingers. "This must be the time of the Inca Empire. In the fifteen hundreds they were conquered by the Spaniards."

Phineas patted his back as they walked out of the bush. "Good job, kid, but what could be wrong? I don't see a living human soul around here."

_"Hmm…_Oh wait! I know who conquered from Spain at this time. It was Piza…_Piza…"_

Phineas shrugged bewildered. "The entire Inca Empire was conquered by a guy named _Pizza_?"

Jeffrey rolled his eyes. "No, Bogg, Francisco _Pizarro! _That's it!"

"Hey, I was close wasn't I? That's good to know, but it doesn't mean that anything is wrong with him."

-O-

Lilly could have sworn she heard the echo of a sneeze, but it was most likely her imagination. There were hundreds of noises surrounding her. Her muscles were cramping up from her position. She needed to call out for help. Phineas and Jeffrey approached a clearing and saw the vast gorge ahead. Phineas kept still, listening carefully. He could have sworn he heard a woman crying. The cries soon became louder. He grabbed Jeffrey's shoulders.

"Hold on. Do you hear that? It sounds like she's in trouble."

"Yeah, yeah I do! Bogg it's coming from the gorge, on that rope bridge!"

The Voyagers ran and saw a woman laying across the middle of the bridge, scared for her life. Phineas couldn't believe his eyes. Her long, coppery hair was unmistakable. She was wearing a pair of jeans with a peasant shirt and vest, similar to his style.

"Jeffrey! It's _Lilly!"_

_"What?_ How is that possible? We've met her twice in three months already, can that really happen?"

"Well, I don't see why not. Voyagers cross paths all the time, but it's just so unusual."

Phineas ran to the head of the bridge and called to her. "Lillia Morgan, what have you gotten yourself into _now?"_

Lilly's head perked up at the stirring sound of Phineas Bogg's deep voice. "Phineas! I can't move! I'm so scared! I tripped!"

"Aww, Lilly, I knew those banana boats of yours were deadly!"

"Listen, _Ducky_, stop making jokes and help me!"

"Don't we always make jokes when we're in trouble?" Phineas looked at Jeffrey. How would they accomplish this?

Jeffrey stared at him in earnest. "Bogg, why don't you let me get her? I'm lighter."

"No Jeff, I can't risk it. What if she panics on you? She's afraid of heights, and you could both go down."

"Please, Bogg, let me try it. If you see there's a problem, then you can come to us. The Incas used these bridges all the time carrying heavy loads."

Phineas smiled with a gleam of pride in his eyes. "Alright, Jeff, give it a shot, but I'm waiting right behind you!"

-Oo-

Jeffrey mustered up all his nerve and walked onto the bridge. He gripped the railings tightly and inched forward, flinching every time the bridge rocked. He kept his focus straight ahead on Lilly. Phineas' whole body tensed as Jeffrey moved further away. If he had to, he was prepared to run across the bridge to save them both.

After a few more feet, Jeffrey relaxed. Within the next five minutes, he was by Lilly's feet. "Hey, Lilly, I'm here for ya, but you're gonna have to help me out. I need you to grab the ropes on the sides of the rails."

Lilly shook her head vehemently. "Jeff, just leave me! I can't…I'm…too scared."

"Please, Lilly, it's the only way for you to get off this bridge. Just take your time. Look, I'll hold you steady."

Jeffrey knelt down wobbly and grabbed her ankles. "Now just start with the right hand…easy…_easy_…that's great, you're getting it!"

Lilly decided not to be a complete chicken in front of the him. She moved her hand slowly and curled her fingers around the rope.

"Okay, now do the same with the left hand, we're almost home free."

Lilly's held the rails and she was able to lift her chest off the planks. "Wow, I'm doing it. Jeff! You're amazing!"

"No, you are! Okay, this part is going to be a little bit harder. I need you to bend your knee, and slide it forward so you can sit up. Keep using the railings for support."

Lilly obeyed and raised it up steady. The bridge leaned to the right as she maneuvered herself against the rail. Phineas watched, feeling helpless, however he was extremely proud with the way Jeffrey handled it.

"Lilly! You did it! You're up!"

Lilly had temporarily closed her eyes to control her dizziness, but she opened them to see Jeffrey holding her hand. Jeffrey hugged her gently, understanding that she couldn't return it. In the distance she saw Voyager Bogg with his beautiful grin, waving at them. Jeffrey took the lead and walked her back to Phineas. He had to stop often because Lilly would freeze up. With his confidence at its full peak, he let go of her hand and went ahead more quickly. Phineas winced.

"Jeffrey, what are you doing? Don't let go of her hand!"

"Hey Bogg! Look, this bridge isn't so bad! It's pretty strong! _Look!"_

Lilly put out her arm to stop him, but she was too afraid to release the rail. "Jeffrey! Be careful, don't walk so fast!"

Jeffrey moved his foot forward over another slat and they all heard a deafening snap, then a sharp splintering of wood. Within seconds he fell through the open gap and screamed. At the same moment Lilly forgot her fears and threw herself onto the planks. She caught Jeffrey by the arms and tried to lift him up, but the rotted wood continued to fracture underneath her. Phineas tossed his hands in the air with a shout and raced across the bridge.

"Phineas! I can't hold him!"

"Bogg! _Help! _Lilly! Don't let me go!" Jeffrey's legs kicked the air and he was slipping from Lilly's grasp.

The bridge rocked violently as Phineas sprinted over, he landed on his knees opposite Lilly. The ropes and wood sagged in the middle. They twirled and the knots loosened. Phineas lifted Jeffrey up with one jerk. Jeffrey landed on top of him, shaking. There was no time to react, the wood gave way under Lilly and she clawed at the railing.

"_Ahhhhhh! Help me_!"

Phineas threw his arm out. He pushed Jeffrey behind and was literally hanging upside down through the aperture with Lilly clinging to his arm. Jeffrey clutched the omni and opened it; the green light rang and went dead.

_"NO!_ Green? Not now! Stupid omni!"

Lilly tried to reach for another wood plank with her free hand to ease the weight on Phineas' arm. The bridge was caving in underneath him. Jeffrey fell back and nearly dropped the omni.

"Let me go! Phineas let me go! Save Jeffrey!"

The muscles in his arm were giving out, but he pulled her higher, gritting his teeth with exertion.

"No Lilly! I won't! Jeff! The omni! _Hit it!"_

_I am! _Nothing's happening! It's dead!"

Lilly stopped struggling for the wood and seized the omni off her belt.

"Wait! Mine!"

"Bogg, the bridge is going down!" Jeffrey grabbed onto Phineas desperately.

The ropes unraveled from either end of the bridge and it finally collapsed. Phineas never let go of Lilly's arm and Jeffrey was still attached to his back when she pressed her omni.

-Oo-

_"Men!_ Stop here!"

"What is it, Francisco?" His brother came to his side, overlooking the canyon. He raised his hand to halt the others.

"We cannot pass here, the bridge is gone! We must take the original route I had mapped out, through the canyons. It will take us longer, but at least we will be safer."

The one hundred and eighty conquistadors let out disgruntled sighs and dropped their bags and supplies for a moments rest.

"That is impossible, the bridge was there just the other day when we checked out the area."

Francisco Pizarro shook his head sadly. "It was looking rather worn. May God rest the souls that crossed it when it fell."

-Oo-

Lilly, Phineas, and Jeff materialized in a large blue room. All three were shaken to the core. Phineas grabbed Jeffrey in a hug and then reached for Lilly. She burst into tears and clung to him.

"Phineas, I'm so sorry! I tried to pull him up…_I tried!"_

"Lilly you did! You overcame your fear and you held Jeffrey up long enough for me to get there."

Jeffrey hugged her. "Yeah Lilly, you saved my life! I'm sorry I did that. It was so stupid!"

The door in the blue room slid open and the Voyagers saw Councilman Garth beaming at them.

"It's nice to see you again, Phineas Bogg, and young Jeffrey Jones, you have certainly grown since we met last."

Phineas came to attention and helped Lilly stand. She straightened up and wiped her eyes.

"That must have been quite a voyage you just experienced. I would like to hear all about it. First, I need you to come with me to the OCC." Garth explained.

The stunned trio followed Garth down the long corridors of the Voyager Training Unit. Lilly had only been in this part of the VTU to have specific evaluations. It's sophisticated buildings, cleanliness and smooth operations always impressed her. They stopped by a set of large white doors and Garth activated his hand-print to open them. When they went inside, all the employees let out a loud applause.

Phineas leaned over to Lilly. "Is there something going on that I don't know about?"

"I have no idea…_umm, _Councilman Garth, what's happening?" She fixed her hair and smiled at the crew like they were paparazzi.

"Congratulations, Lilly Morgan, you are a full fledged Voyager! Your three-month Probation is over!" Bobby Peters, the head of the OCC, called out.

Garth stood in the middle of the floor and called everyone to attention.

"Lilly Morgan, you were given a prototype omni model because VHQ was using you in preparation for the brand new, _'Voyager's Assist Others Program!'_ Some of the young bucks around here call it, the _'VAP' Experiment_. You were the last successful test subject."

Lilly's jaw dropped, but she was still puzzled. She, Phineas and Jeffrey took a seat and waited for more explanations. Garth held up an exact version of her omni and opened it.

"I'm sure you wondered why your yellow light went off whenever Voyagers Bogg and Jones were in your time zone and came to your assistance?"

Lilly shrugged. "Well, it did cross my mind, but I didn't quite put the two together."

"This yellow light is a trigger light, when you press the activator above it, a signal is sent to the Voyager assigned to assist you. Their omni coordinates pick up your location and he or she will come to you as soon as they possibly can. We want all our Voyagers to be the best they can be in the field. VHQ has come to realize that organizational _teamwork_ would truly forward the cause in many ways. Not everyone is at the same level and may often need the assistance of experienced field workers."

Phineas now understood why he and Jeffrey were always there for Lilly at the right time. "So Profess…I mean, _Councilman_ Garth, the OCC was monitoring all of us for this test and knew when to send us to Lilly?

"Precisely. We used the test program on twenty-five graduates and Lilly was the last case. All twenty-five came back with positive results and the lives of our fellow Voyagers were spared in many instances that could have proved disastrous. We are now confident that the_ VAP_ program will indeed be a success and well, it gets a _green light!"_

Everyone clapped again and Bobby approached Phineas with a sleek, wooden case. He pointed to the omni in Jeffrey's hand and took it from him.

"I can't believe this thing lasted as long as it did, Bogg. We nearly panicked when we saw it went dead, but Voyager Morgan's omni kicked in and we knew you were with her. Open the case."

Phineas opened it and gasped in pleasant surprise. Inside, was a near replica of his omni, but shiny and new. He flicked the lid and saw the three lights and the globe let off a pale green glow. Bobby put the old omni in the case.

"Hey mate, I know how tough it is to let these things go, we'll keep it safe for you."

Phineas nodded happily. He looked at his partner. "We'll take good care of this won't we?"

"Sure and maybe you can finally learn how to field strip it!"

Bobby laughed. "That's another beauty of these babies. They field strip themselves every three months, you don't have to worry about a thing."

_"Awesome!" J_effrey yelled out. "I want one too!"

"Oh you'll be getting one eventually, but we'll probably have it even more perfected by then." Bobby assured him.

Phineas stood up and rubbed his shoulder, the pain was starting to creep up on him. "So, I guess it's back in the field for us then."

Garth waved his hands. "Not so fast! We need to hear it from you, Voyager Bogg. Do you both want to continue with our program? You are not under any obligations, and you would still get a new omni of course, just not with a yellow light."

Phineas and Jeffrey both gave a resounding 'Yes.' They felt extremely honored to be of service to the cause.

"Splendid, we will sort all the necessary details out another day and put you on the activation logs as of today. We'll find you a new assignment shortly."

Lilly looked up and was about to protest, but kept quiet. She was only the_ test _subject? A miserable feeling tugged at her heart, but she swallowed it down and smiled bleakly. Phineas and Jeffrey caught her expression, they wouldn't have minded coming to Lilly's assistance in the future either.

You all need to take a break. I'll have a complex set up for you and Jeffrey to rest now. We are having a celebration in honor of the institution of our program. Our most valued members should be there. Now go on, get some clean clothes and sleep, because tonight, we are going to _party!"_

Garth did a little twist and a rumba and the entire OCC laughed. Lilly was looking forward to a long hot bath and getting completely refreshed after so many months of roughing it in the field work. She walked out glumly behind Phineas and Jeffrey.

"Bogg, cool, we have a party to go to! Hey, now's your chance to get closer to Susan." He nudged his ribs.

Phineas glanced sideways and caught Lilly with her head down. "Yeah kid, maybe if I see her there, but_ umm_, I may have other plans."

-Oo-

Phineas and Jeffrey entered the ornately decorated gymnasium. For Phineas, it felt like a reunion with his old professors and Academy buddies. Jeffrey ran directly to the food table and stacked his plate high with all the delicious buffet choices. He found a table with Olivia Dunn. She was extremely happy to see them both. Almost an hour passed and Phineas had laughed, eaten and danced with Olivia and Susan and a few other lady friends, but he saw no sign of Lilly. He was disappointed. He glanced around the gymnasium again, in case he happened to have missed her.

His gaze came to rest on a beautiful girl from the back. She was sipping punch a little unsure of herself. How could he have _not_ seen her? She looked radiant in a floor length, green silky evening dress and topaz necklace that brought out the similar colors in her eyes. Her face was made-up with glossy pale lips and black-lined eye make-up. Her hair was styled and freshly cut, the soft layers cascaded over her shoulders. Lilly caught him staring and came over with a bright smile, she wore matching ankle strap heels and she nearly came head to head with him.

"Phineas! I'm sorry I'm late, but I really took advantage of this and decided it was time I felt like a _real_ woman."

Her skin was scrubbed and glowed with a sweet scented oil. Phineas couldn't take his gaze from her. "Who…who says you aren't a _real_ woman?" He stammered.

"Nobody, but after all those voyages it's kinda nice to play dress-up. You look _fantastic_ in that tux." Lilly sighed inwardly. Phineas Bogg's physique was perfect in every outfit he wore.

"Thanks, but Lilly, you look really stunning." Phineas held her hand and twirled her around.

"You like the green? I figured I'd wear it in honor of the program."

"The color suits you well. It certainly matches your eyes."

Lilly blushed and kept hold of his hands. The lights dimmed and soft music played. Phineas put his arm around her waist and led her to the dance floor.

"Lilly, would you care to dance with me? You don't have a choice, you know."

She gazed into his eyes and agreed with a light laugh. He pulled her close and they swayed against each other.

_"Mmm, _I love this song, Paul McCartney, '_This never happened before_'."

_"Ahh,_ he was lead singer in the Beatles. Jeff introduced me to their music a while back."

Lilly rested her head on his shoulder and Phineas nestled his chin on her hair. They danced in silence until the song ended. Phineas decided to tell her his good news.

"Hey, about the program, I talked to Garth…"

"Phineas, I understand I was just a test subject, you and Jeff could be out there helping the other Voyagers and I…"

"Wait, let me finish. Garth changed his mind…with a little persuasion. Jeff and I are the Voyagers that will be helping you. At least until you find your footing. Eventually you'll be assisting others too."

Lilly grabbed his neck and hugged him tightly. "Phineas! _Thank you!_ You and Jeff are wonderful! And I promise not to be so helpless."

"Lilly, you were never _helpless_, you just needed that push, kinda like history."

"I needed more than that, I needed a shove and a smack and a huge slop bucket!"

Phineas chuckled and gave her a brief kiss. "_Yeah you did_, but I forgive you and so does Jeff."

Lilly stepped back, glowing. "If you don't mind, I want to sing for you both, wait here!"

She ran to the stage to talk to the band. Phineas gave a big shrug and called Jeffrey to him.

"Lilly's gonna sing for us!"

"Not_ Diamonds are a girl's best friend_ again? Oh no, I hope it's not _Big spender_ either! Remember the ruckus she caused in the saloon when she put on all that make-up?"

Phineas laughed at his partner's worried expression. A moment later, colorful lights swept across the stage. Lilly grabbed the microphone and quieted the audience down.

"I want to dedicate this song to Voyagers Phineas Bogg and Jeffrey Jones, my true heroes!"

A pulsing rock beat started and everyone clapped along. The Voyagers blushed as they all stared in their direction and laughed.

"Hey, that song sounds real awesome, let's get closer." Jeffrey said. They moved their way through the crowds as Lilly belted out the lyrics in rock fashion.

"_Where have all the good men gone and where are all the gods? Where's the streetwise Hercules to fight the rising odds? Isn't there a white knight upon a fiery steed? Late at night I toss and turn and I dream of what I need! I need a hero! I'm holding out for a hero till the end of the night! He's gotta be strong and he's gotta be fast and he's gotta be fresh from the fight!…"_

Phineas and Jeffrey cheered and whistled; Lilly was bringing down the house. Phineas shouted to his partner over the music.

"What do you say? Is she a keeper?"

"I think so! I really like her! How about you?"

"Definitely, Jeff! With Lilly, the adventures are just beginning!"

**The End. **

**Read more adventures with Lilly, Bogg and Jeffrey in 'Voyagers!: Asylum :D  
**


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